AWS Free Tier

The AWS Free Tier is how you provide the Cloud Services to run the Free Cloud Desktop Software and Model. Your account must qualify to get the Free Tier and stay within the limits to avoid charges. The “Bills” page on the Billing and Cost Management Dashboard of your AWS Account provides info on all of that. Basically, the Free Tier is usually granted for 1 year from signup.

Keep in mind though that each instance started is considered an hour of run time.

1) I got an email with the subject line “Your AWS Free Tier Period is Expiring” and in the body of it “We wanted to let you know that your 12 month introductory AWS Free Tier usage is set to expire”. Can I still get Free Cloud Desktop services from them?

The AWS Customer Agreement with Amazon states that AWS Accounts are One Account Per Email Address but the Free Tier terms seem to limit this service to the initial account. To access the Services, you must create an AWS account associated with a valid e-mail address. There are certainly legitimate reasons to set up a new or second AWS account and the Free Tier tends to be promoted to the signup email and seems available for use as you are notified by email for that.

Of course, you can always just pay for the usage on the same account and/or terminate your Free Cloud Desktop instance. You can also delete your AWS Account or terminate your instance at any time.

2) How do I review and manage my activity on my AWS Account within the Free Tier Limits?

Answer: You can review your AWS Activity at any time in the Billing and Cost Management area of your AWS Account. We recommend you check the billing detail on the Billing and Cost Management page of your AWS Profile frequently until familiar with it and compare to the AWS Free Tier FAQ to ensure you are within the usage limits frequently for a while to make sure you stay within limits (network, storage, etc). Finally, make sure you use the AWS Billing Alert function.